PHOENIX (AP) — The U.S. Justice Department’s promise to file a criminal contempt-of-court charge against the longtime sheriff of metro Phoenix comes less than a month before the 84-year-old lawman will learn whether he gets a seventh term in office.

Sheriff Joe Arpaio will face the possibility of jail time and a clouded political future when prosecutors file a misdemeanor contempt charge against him for defying a judge’s orders to end his signature immigration patrols. The charge is expected to be filed Wednesday.

Arpaio, who didn’t attend a hearing Tuesday in his contempt case, could face up to six months in jail if convicted of misdemeanor contempt.

Arpaio accused the Obama administration of attempting to sway the election in his county and said he was expecting to be exonerated of the charges.

“It is no coincidence that this announcement comes 28 days before the election and the day before early voting starts,” Arpaio said in statement. “It is a blatant abuse of power and the people of Maricopa County should be as outraged as I am.”

“My point is this was strictly a political attack on this sheriff in this campaign,” Arpaio said in comments to The Arizona Republic. “I am not going to surrender. I am going to fight this all the way. And I expect to be re-elected.”

Arpaio acknowledge he violated the order, but has said it was not intentional. Sounds an awful like what FBI Director James Comey claimed about Hillary Clinton, only her actions actually broke the law.

Of course, the charges surprised even Arpaio’s attorneys. Mel McDonald, who is defending Arpaio said, “Usually a set status conference is a meeting between the court and council to discuss legal issues. We had no clue that they were going to come here today and make the announcements that they made.”

According to McDonald, Arpaio will not plead guilty to the charges.

Paul Charlton, a former U.S. attorney for the District of Arizona said, “It’s unheard of” that a sheriff would be prosecuted in this manner.

“As rare as it is to have a federal judge refer the head of a law-enforcement agency for prosecution, it is even rarer that the Department of Justice would pick up that gauntlet and move forward with the charge, Charlton added.

Arpaio’s opponent in the race, Paul Penzone said, “No one is above the law, and today’s (Tuesday’s) announcement in court epitomizes the strength of the judicial system.”

According to Ktar, “Arpaio and three aides had been found in civil contempt for defying Snow’s orders in a years-old racial profiling case in the spring. The sheriff’s office had refused to stop targeting Latinos in patrols despite federal directives to do so.”

Tim Brown is an author and Editor at FreedomOutpost.com, SonsOfLibertyMedia.com, GunsInTheNews.com and TheWashingtonStandard.com. He is husband to his "more precious than rubies" wife, father of 10 "mighty arrows", jack of all trades, Christian and lover of liberty. He resides in the U.S. occupied Great State of South Carolina. Tim is also an affiliate for the Joshua Mark 5 AR/AK hybrid semi-automatic rifle.